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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28362621">I’m You, But Gayer</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaggerQuill_24601/pseuds/DaggerQuill_24601'>DaggerQuill_24601</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Big Hero 6 (2014), Home (2015), Inside Out (2015), The Emoji Movie (2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Background Poly, Breaking the Fourth Wall, Crack, Crack Crossover, Crack Treated Seriously, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Crossovers &amp; Fandom Fusions, Dimension Travel, Everyone Is Gay, Gen, Genderfluid Character, Hiro Hamada has ADHD, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Multiple Crossovers, Multiple Pronouns for Riley (Inside Out), Neurodiversity, Other, Polyamory, References to Addiction, References to Depression, Riley is a genderfluid child who deserves to be protected, Trans Character, WIP, autistic headcanon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:26:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,931</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28362621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaggerQuill_24601/pseuds/DaggerQuill_24601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>”By the way...” Alex regrets not having asked this question sooner, when he wasn’t traveling through a dimensional portal with a near stranger.<br/>“Um...Who are you?” </p><p>Riley grins. They’ve been waiting all day for this question.<br/>“I’m you, but gayer.” </p><p> </p><p>Or,<br/>Riley, Hiro, and Tip build a portal using alien technology to save Alex, and his friends Bailey and Addie.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Addie McCallister &amp; Alex, Alex/original male character, Hiro Hamada &amp; Gratuity "Tip" Tucci, Riley Andersen &amp; Gratuity “Tip” Tucci, Riley Andersen &amp; Hiro Hamada, Riley Andersen &amp; Hiro Hamada &amp; Gratuity “Tip” Tucci, Riley Andersen/Hiro Hamada/Gratuity “Tip” Tucci</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alex is playing with his phone under his desk, and fumbles it as his ringtone goes off unexpectedly. </p><p>He catches it just as the portal opens in front of him. </p><p>Riley pops their head out of the portal. “Hi. Come with me if you wanna be in a better movie than this.” </p><p>Alex looks surprised, but not as surprised as you might think, considering a dimensional portal just popped up in front of him. </p><p>Riley takes one look at Alex’s phone, still in his outstretched hand, and snatches it away. They smash it on the floor before Alex has time to react. </p><p>“What...why’d you...that was my phone!”</p><p> ————————————————————</p><p>In headquarters, Disgust smirked in triumph, looking down at the shattered remains of Alex’s phone on the viewscreen. On the other side of the control panel, Anger gives her a fistbump. </p><p>“Was that really necessary?” Joy asked, annoyed.</p><p>The green emotion rolled her eyes. ”Hey, if we’re trying to help him break out of his terrible movie, at least we can destroy the place where its horrible characters live.” <br/>
<br/>
—————————————————————</p><p>Riley winced. “Sorry, but it had to be done. Besides, I have a friend who can get you a better one.” </p><p>••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</p><p>Back at the lab, Hiro is pacing. <br/>
“Are you sure you know Riley won’t get hurt by this, Tip?” he says as he circles the room for a fifth time. “I mean, you know I trust you, but the last time I had to use a portal, it didn’t end so well.” </p><p>Tip bites her lip from where she sits at the console controlling the portal tech, perched on a swivel chair. “I know it didn’t. But hey, it all worked out in the end, so...” </p><p>Hiro sighs and starts on his sixth lap of the lab, pushing Tip and her chair out of the way as he runs his hands through his hair. <br/>
<br/>
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</p><p>Finished with checking the portal, Riley turns his attention back to Alex. <br/>
“Okay, sorry about that. My name’s Riley and I’m here to get you out of here. There isn’t much time, so I need you and your friend Addie to come with me.” </p><p>Alex blushes and looks over to where Addie is standing, having shot out of her seat at the sound of her name. <br/>
<br/>
“Okay. Let’s do it.” <br/>
<br/>
Alex gapes. “A-Addie, are you serious?” </p><p>“Yeah! This might be our only chance to be remembered for something worthwhile!” she says, tying up her hair in a scrunchie. </p><p>Alex takes a deep breath. </p><p>“Something worthwhile...that would be nice for a change.” <br/>
He looks up at Riley. “We’re in.” </p><p>“Good.” Riley surveys the room. <br/>
Their eyes rest on the boy sitting next to Alex, who for the most part hasn’t taken his eyes off of him.<br/>
“Hey,” they call out to him. He tears his eyes away from Alex, surprised.<br/>
“What’s your name?” </p><p>He looks suspicious for a moment, but then gives in. “B...Bailey.” <br/>
<br/>
Riley smiles. “Bailey, do you want to come with us?” </p><p>He glances at Alex for a second, then nods, not even giving it a second thought. </p><p>“Great,” Riley grins, looking between the three of them. “Come with me then.”</p><p>They look out over the rest of the shocked classroom. <br/>
“Bye. See you later, I guess.” <br/>
The three kids clamber over Alex’s desk and through the portal.</p><p>”By the way...” Alex regrets not having asked this question sooner, when he wasn’t traveling through a dimensional portal with a near stranger.<br/>
“Um...Who are you?” </p><p>Riley grins. They’ve been waiting all day for this question. <br/>
“I’m you, but gayer.” </p><p>•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••</p><p>        They all tumble out of the portal together. Riley is the only one who lands on her feet. And then promptly falls over, due to Hiro immediately running up and glomping her. </p><p>"Ohh-Riley-thank-god-you're-not-trapped-in-a-void-between-dimensions!" he says in one breath. Riley hugs him back.<br/>
"I know. Thanks so much for letting me do this...I knew you'd worry because of what happened to you...But I did it!"</p><p>They sweep their arm over to where Alex, Addie, and Bailey are sprawled in a heap on the floor of the lab. "They're free!"</p><p>Hiro has let go of Riley to lean back on his heels and rock slightly. </p><p>"Glad to see you're all in one piece," Tip says, getting up from her chair to embrace Riley. "I was afraid Hiro was going to pull his hair out. We called for Baymax twice!" </p><p>"Hey, gimme a break!" Hiro glares a little at Tip in embarrassment, his hands gesturing and flapping as he explains. "I've never done anything with human test subjects before!"</p><p>Tip kneels down and offers a hand to Alex, Addie, and Bailey.</p><p>"Nice to see you guys out of that garbage dump of a movie. How're you guys doing?"</p><p>Alex is still mulling over Riley's words to him from earlier: "I'm you, but gayer." </p><p><em>I mean, I guess?</em> he thinks. But there's still a lingering doubt in the back of his mind. Now that he's free to explore his identity without being constrained by censors, who knows what his status is in that regard? </p><p>Bailey knows Riley's comment was directed at Alex, but he still can't help but think of "you" as referring to all three of them. </p><p><em>You're gayer? Wanna bet?</em> he thinks, smiling inwardly.</p><p>Addie, meanwhile, is staring at Tip, grinning. <em>Finally! A place with personalities! People, with personalities! This is awesome!</em></p><p>In this new place, their possibilities were endless. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Heck I don’t even know where I’m going with this</p><p>I’m sure this is all pretty OOC because I kinda just ignored their canon personalities in favor of dunking everyone in a vat of sarcasm</p><p>None of this makes any sense but it is a crack fic after all<br/>Partially based on this: https://acelaces.tumblr.com/post/136668850485/im-walking-home-alone-bye<br/>I can't believe I'm doing this let me know if you want more cause i do technically have an idea for a plot</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. A Look Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Alex has lost track of all the hours he's spent staring at screens. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>(So this is where all the mental illness and addiction themes come into play. This is more backstory than anything so if you don't want to read, you don't have to, and I don't blame you. This takes place before all the portal-y stuff with the science squad btw. I was going to write the fun pizza adventure, I swear! But then stuff happened, and this came out instead. Please bear with me while I ready the chapter I actually wanted to write--that should be coming soon!)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Alex has lost track of the hours he's wasted staring at screens. Sometimes, he feels like he should stop. But that all changes when he gets online. There are so many things to do! Friends to talk to, games to play, things to read. And before long, it's one in the morning and he's kicking himself for forgetting that he has school tomorrow. Lather, rinse, repeat. </p><p>He knows, in the back of his mind, that something's off. Hobbies, he thinks. My parents bought me a lot of cool stuff to do. Drawing sets and basketballs and things like that. Did he ever use them? </p><p>He can't remember. That scares him more than anything. </p><p>He remembers their trip to Paris. He'd put his hands in the fountains and taken selfies with the pigeons and felt together with his family. He still has a photo of the three of them, with big smiles on their faces. </p><p>Why can't he remember the last time he'd felt anything that strongly? He doesn't know what it is, if he's just been in a funk or something, but he's been feeling so...<em>meh</em> lately. Like a volcano could erupt outside of the school, and he wouldn't bat an eye. He knows that's not true, though, because he freaks out when his phone goes off unexpectedly in class. </p><p>He knew he shouldn't be playing with his phone at school, but he just couldn't help it. It's like his hand has a mind of its own sometimes. Besides, mobile games helped numb the mind-crushing boredom of school. Well, okay, not all of it was boring. He liked his friends, even if sometimes they had to wave their hand in front of his face to get him to look up. (He always felt bad when he realized what he was doing. I'm so sorry, he'd say, over and over. Please, I swear I do care, <strike>I know it doesn't look like it, but</strike> I do. Please.) And the lesson on Ancient Egypt that day really had been interesting, or at least it would've been if he'd had a different teacher. </p><p>The phone goes off even though he swore he'd left it on silent, and now everyone is staring at him. Alex's cheeks burn, and a part of him hates everyone in that moment. </p><p>The minute he gets his phone back, he checks social media to see what he's missed. He walks home still scrolling and stays in his room once he's there. After dinner, he flops back down on his bed and opens the app again. </p><p>When he wakes up, it's because he's dropped the phone on his face. </p><p>He doesn't really recognize that he might have a problem until his grades start slipping. But even then, at this point, it's a way of life. HIs "meh" feeling has turned into his every waking moment. He doesn't think he remembers much of middle school, until something upsets him enough to storm to his room and slam the door, trying not to cry. <em>Oh, this,</em> he thinks sadly. <em>This feels familiar.</em> </p><p>The worst is when his parents try to help him. He just can't bear seeing them so disappointed. </p><p>"<em>Mijo," </em>his mother says, and he feels something twinge in his chest. "why don't you tell us anything?"</p><p>The twinge of pain turns into a warm, burning feeling, like his heart has been filled with battery acid. The reproachful tone in her voice stops him from saying any more.</p><p>He tries to focus and process what his dad is telling him, but he just can't think straight anymore. He says the first snappish thing that comes to mind-- anything to stave off the emptiness-- and that was it. What was meant to be a simple conversation turns into a twenty-minute screaming match. For Alex, the goal of the conversation is now survival. He can barely deal with what he's feeling, much less answer their questions, which seem more and more like accusations the nervouser he gets. </p><p>Finally, after he's thoroughly exhausted fielding their pointed questions, the argument winds down to a calm coldness. Fighting to keep his voice even, he kisses both of his parents goodnight, trying as hard as possible not to be stiff as he hugs them, and goes back to his room. His knees buckle, and he all but collapses onto his bed, curling into a ball. </p><p><em>You ungrateful, stupid idiot,</em> he thinks to himself, trying not to claw his skin out of frustration. <em>They love you and want to help you. What the hell is wrong with you? Why can't you just have a regular conversation like a normal person? </em></p><p>With blurry eyes, he opens up his phone.</p><p><em>God, I need something to pick me up, </em>he thinks. </p><p><em>You don't deserve a pick-me-up, </em>his feelings reply. </p><p>He must have opened up Addie's message ten times, trying to work up the will to text her. He needed someone to talk to. But he ultimately can't bring himself to text her back. It would just be weird now, and then to dump all of his problems on her? He's done that enough lately. He can pull through this on his own. He's fine. </p><p>He opens up a mobile game and begins to play. After a while, he beats his high score, and he starts to feel a tiny bit better, He even feels it in his chest this time. </p><p>Alex falls asleep with his phone in his hand and wakes up with salt encrusted on his cheeks. Time to start a new day. </p><p>He doesn't know how he'll make this one different. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Damn I'm sorry. I accidentally tricked you. I promised you cute, fluffy slice of life adventures and then slam you with angst. And with nary a happy ending in sight. Well, not yet anyway. But it will be! Hang in there!</p><p> </p><p>the projecting is also strong with this one too</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. An Update (a meta-update)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I’m still planning on finishing this I swear I just got stuck and need to get unstuck</p><p>To the one person who’s following this fic, thank you for reading and I’m sorry for the wait. I have a chapter in the works I just need to finish it</p><p>And that’s it, as far as I know. Just an update to prove I have indeed thought about this fic and haven’t abandoned it. It’s all coming together— slowly, painfully, but it’s coming.<br/><br/></p><p>Now to make sure it gets out there. One way or another. </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heck I don’t even know where I’m going with this </p><p>I’m sure this is all pretty OOC because I kinda just ignored their canon personalities in favor of dunking everyone in a vat of sarcasm</p><p>None of this makes any sense but it is a crack fic after all<br/>Partially based on this: https://acelaces.tumblr.com/post/136668850485/im-walking-home-alone-bye<br/>I can't believe I'm doing this let me know if you want more cause i do technically have an idea for a plot</p></blockquote></div></div>
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